Mission Statement of the Alternative Academic Educational Network (AAEN)46

The Alternative Academic Educational Network is a non-governmental, non-profit, educational and research association committed to quality protection and improvement of academic education in Yugoslavia. AAEN answers the challenge in an academic education by effectively gathering non-governmental academic organizations, projects and persons involved in education of undergraduate and graduate students in Serbia and Montenegro. The Association organizes integrated and interdisciplinary programmes in academic disciplines that are neglected or do not exist at the Universities in Yugoslavia. The programmes reflect the evolving character of the generation and uses of knowledge within research communities and within society.

Establishment

The AAEN was established as an answer of the part of academic community to the restrictive new University Bill, introduced in May 1998. According to this new law, the 160-year-old tradition of University autonomy was abolished. Possible degradation of University education made professors and people from non-governmental organizations found this Association.

Objectives and Tasks
- Analysis of the existing academic programmes and creation of the alternative programmes in accordance with the highest academic standards.
- Offering support to programmes and faculty members who are affected by this law.
- Making contacts with other academic networks, universities and colleges in the world.
- Creating alternative academic multidisciplinary programmes and offering them to smaller communities throughout Yugoslavia.
- Intensive work with the gifted students who will become future experts in their respective fields in Yugoslavia.
- More efficient use of the existing alternative programmes.
- Creation of data library of the alternative academic programmes and of the achieved results in academic education.
- Organization of experimental education. - Publishing of scientific papers.

Activities

AAEN will autonomously or in cooperation with similar institutions organize and support the following activities:

· Modular and experimental education during school year · Summer universities
· Tutorial education - supervised study · Creation of invisible colleges
· Internet education
· Lectures and seminars by visiting professors
· Practical training at scientific and commercial institutions · Scholarships for foreign universities
· Sabbaticals for AAEN professors
· Organization of professional meetings committed to academic education and its problems and challenges

Founders
Prof. Zagorka Golubovic, Ph.D.
Prof. Milan Podunavac, Ph.D.
Prof. Marija Bogdanovic, Ph.D
Prof. Vukasin Pavlovic, Ph.D
Prof. Cedomir Cupic, Ph.D.
Prof. Mladen Lazic, Ph.D.
Prof. Srbijanka Turajlic, Ph.D.
Aleksandra Jovanovic, Ph.D.
Prof. Sreten Vujovic, Ph.D.
Prof. Vesna Rakic-Vodinelic, Ph.D.
Mihail Arandarenko, Ph.D.
Prof. Nikola Tucic, Ph.D.
Prof. Milan Kurepa, Ph.D.
Dasa Duhacek, M.Sc.
Refik Secibovic, Ph.D

Masarikova 5/ XII, 11000 Belgrade, Yugoslavia
tel: (+381 11) 688-388, fax: (+381 11) 361-3112, e-mail: aaen@opennet.org